Baths without tour, lots of ??s

[olechka]

I've read 5 pages of the boards and still confused, someone please help!!!

 

We want to go to the Bath's, which I'm assuming is the beach are and the large stones that I see in the pictures. Here're my questions:

 

1. Can we just catch a taxi there instead of wasting time with the boat?

 

2. When we arrive to the Baths, how do we get a tour to walk between the stones? Is that only included with paid excursions? I'm so confused because I see pictures of people swimming, others snorkeling, others walking??

 

3. For snorkeling, is there a place to rent equipment including life vest if you are not part of a tour?

 

4. Our grandmother is traveling with us, who is pretty active. She wouldn't go through the rock formations but will she have trouble getting to the beach?

 

5. We have an underwater digital camera, would you recommend brining it or will it get beat up when climbing?

 

Thank you so much!

[smeyer418]

I've read 5 pages of the boards and still confused, someone please help!!!

 

We want to go to the Bath's, which I'm assuming is the beach are and the large stones that I see in the pictures. Here're my questions:

 

1. Can we just catch a taxi there instead of wasting time with the boat?

 

2. When we arrive to the Baths, how do we get a tour to walk between the stones? Is that only included with paid excursions? I'm so confused because I see pictures of people swimming, others snorkeling, others walking??

 

3. For snorkeling, is there a place to rent equipment including life vest if you are not part of a tour?

 

4. Our grandmother is traveling with us, who is pretty active. She wouldn't go through the rock formations but will she have trouble getting to the beach?

 

5. We have an underwater digital camera, would you recommend brining it or will it get beat up when climbing?

 

Thank you so much!

 

Unless you ship docks in Virgin Gorda, its not a matter of taking a taxi. Virgin Gorda is 40 minutes by boat from Tortola. When you get to Virgin Gorda you can I am sure get a taxi to take you to the Baths. If you take the Virgin Gorda Highlights tour, They Ferry you over, have a van(of sorts) meet you and take you to the Baths. You walk down to a beach that your grandmother can wait at where there are lockers and places to rent snorkle gear. The walk through the Baths-rock themselves is not particular strenuous and your camera should be ok unless you drop it. You gm can wait for you to make your way back or she can walk back up when its time to meet the van to take you to the Ferry back to your ship.

I am not sure whether there is a public non cruise tour ferry that will have a schedule that will get you there and back in time. You can always take a private boat arranged as a charter.

[olechka]

Thank you so much!!! Sounds like we all can get to the beach, leave her there and then do our own thing as far as walking through the rock formations and then meet her back on the beach.

 

Do we really need a tour through the rock formations or you just follow people in front kinda thing?

 

Thank you again!

[JerseyGem]

You won't need a tour through the Baths- just follow the path- (and follow the crowds). There is a small beach area at the bottom of the cliff where your grandmother could wait for you. There was a small snack bar and some tables, but no chairs to rent. At the top (where the buses leave you off), there's a nice restaurant. The walk down the cliff is sometimes narrow and steep (and remember that you have to go back up to catch a bus or taxi to the ferry).

 

I think the last poster explained this- but just to make sure you do understand- I doubt that your ship docks at Virgin Gorda. Most cruise ships dock at Tortola, an island about a 45 minutes boat ride from the island of Virgin Gorda. The ferry has a posted schedule (and some one on Cruise Critic should have a link to the schedule). The walk to the ferry is about 15 minutes from the dock in Tortola. Once on Virgin Gorda, there are always lots of buses (shuttles) to tak you to the Bsths area. Just allow enough time to reverse your trip back to the cruise ship!

 

If you take a cruiseline shore excursion, verify how they will get you to the Baths- some excursions just get you close enough to swim to shore (they'll give you flotation vests and flippers/snorkels). If your g-mom isn't up to this (it can be a strenuous swim), then she would be "stuck" on the boat, since there isn't any dock at the Baths.

[smeyer418]

http://bviwelcome.com/ferries.html

 

this is the ferry schedule I found.